Sail rig



J. H.- BRAZIER SAIL RIG Sept. 12, 1967 Filed Dec. 17, 1965 INVENTO Jack 11.51 021; j? W7fi/ gigs United States Patent 3,340,841 SAIL RIG Jack H. Brazier, Fort Myers, Fla., assignor to Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, 111., a corporation of New York Filed Dec. 17, 1965, Ser. No. 514,497 3 Claims. (Cl. 114-39) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sail rig, designed especially for application to small craft, having a mast with a hollow'portion within its upper end, with bearing means therein, and a gaff boom having a straight portion swivelled in the upper end of the mast in cooperation with the bearing means, so as to be rotatable coaxially of the mast. The upper portion of the gaff boom is preferably arcuate, to accommodate a sail having an arcuate upper edge, thereby providing increased sail area as compared with one having a diagonal straight upper edge.

My invention relates to a sail rig, and is specially applicable to small sailing craft such as those found on inland and sheltered waters, although not necessarily restricted thereto.

My invention contemplates a modification of the now generally outdated gaff rig, eliminating the complexity of rigging normally associated therewith, employing instead a curved gaff boom secured to the mast and preferably telescoped therein in such manner as to be free to turn about the mast as an axis.

A further object of my invention is to provide such a sail rigging especially adaptable for small craft which is simple and inexpensive in construction and easily and elficiently controlled by one having relatively little sailing skill, such as a young person.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

Referring now to the drawings forming a part of this specification and illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention,

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of one type of small craft to which my invention is applied;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary detailed elevation on an enlarged scale of the upper part of the mast and gaff boom, as seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary elevation, partly in section, of the inner end of the main boom seen in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a transverse plan-section of the part seen in FIG. 3, taken substantially along the line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a transverse sectional view through the mast, taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5a is a view similar to FIG. 5 showing another and preferred type of hoop for attaching the sail to the mast, and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a portion of the sail to illustrate its mode of connection to the mast.

Referring first to FIG. 1, I show here a sailing craft 10 which is merely illustrative of one type of boat to which my invention may be applied. It will be understood that my invention may be used with a wide Variety of craft, but is especially applicable to a small boat suitable for sheltered passages, such as small lakes and rivers. Such craft will have a mast 12 properly anchored in the hull and should have a hollow portion 15 in the upper extremity thereof, although the entire mast may be, and preferably is, of tubular metal such as aluminum and is 33405841 Patented Sept. 12, 1967 preferably longitudinally tapered. Radial bearing means 18a is seated at or near the upper extremity of mast 12 and suitable thrust bearing means 18b is affixed in the mast .a relatively short distance from said extriernity, said bearings being shown schematically and designed to seat the lower portion of a gaff boom 20, whereby said boom will be free to swivel within the mast with a minimum of friction. Other suitable mounting means for said boom may be used.

A sail S is mounted on mast 12 and boom 20, as seen in FIG. 1, the lower portion of the sail being laced to a main boom B in the usual manner. Boom B has a U-shaped bearing member 50 supported on the mast. The upper inner edge 23 of the sail is preferably of arcuate conformation, although it could be an obliquely extending straight edge, and this portion of the sail is likewise laced to gaff boom 20, while the lower inner edge 25 of the sail is preferably attached to mast 12 by circular hoops 27 sufficiently large in circumference to enable the sail to clear the mast, The hoops 27 are preferably formed of a suitable synthetic resin having desirable bearing qualities, as exemplified by nylon or the like, although a metal such as aluminum may be used for said hoops. The ends of these hoops 27, as seen in FIG. 5 at 28, after being drawn through the said grommets are bent reversely through an angle of about 220 to form two halves of a hoop with an inside diameter of approximately inch. Such details of construction, of course, are subject to wide variations.

Another preferred form of sail-attaching hoop shown in FIG. 5a is simple and easy to secure, comprising a ring R having radial fingers 51 and 52 on the extremities thereof. A transverse stem 54 on finger 51 extends toward finger 52, having a terminal knob or head 55 adapted to snap into locking engagement with said finger 52, it being understood that these hoops are formed of resilient material. Thus, the hoops are quickly sprung or snapped closed, after being passed through a grommet, forming a secure but quickly detachable connection.

The outer or free edge 30 of sail S is preferably of arcuate formation, as seen in FIG. 1, not only for aesthetic reasons to harmonize with arc 23, but also to provide greater sail area.

A sheet 3-2 having an end convenient to the navigator in the cockpit is conducted over sheaves 35 and 38 on boom B, the opposite end of said sheet being conducted around a pulley 40 swivelly mounted on a rudder support 45, as described in further detail in my co-pending application Ser. No. 514,498 filed Dec. 17, 1965.

It will be apparent that sail S and gaff boom 20 are free to swing freely about mast 12 as an axis. I have found after extensive experimentation that the construction shown and described hereabove operates with high efliciency and the utmost convenience and may be readily operated by a youth or other person having little or no nautical skill. I have found my improved construction, as herein disclosed, to be superior in efficiency to other rigs of generally similar character.

Various changes coming within the spirit of my invention may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art; hence, I do not wish to be limited to the specific embodiments shown and described or uses mentioned, but intend the same to be merely exemplary, the scope of my invention being limited only by the appended claims.

I claim:

1 In combination with a nautical craft,

(a) a mast having coaxial bearing means adjacent its upper end, and

(b) a gaff boom swiveled in said bearing means for rotation on the generally vertical axis of said mast,

said boom extending upwardly and outwardly of said mast and supported solely on the mast,

(c) said mast having a tubular portion in its upper end, and

(d) said boom having a straight portion rotatably seated in said tubular portion.

2. A combination as in claim I wherein said boom has an arcuate portion extending upwardly and outwardly from said straight portion.

3. A combination as in claim 1, wherein said mast is tubular, and said boom has a convexly arcuate portion UNITED STATES PATENTS 383,172 5/1888 Crandall 1l497 419,448 1/1890 Hutchings 114113 381,614 7/1892 Comstock 114-102 MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

0 T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A NAUTICAL CRAFT, (A) A MAST HAVING COAXIAL BEARING MEANS ADJACENT ITS UPPER END, AND (B) A GAFF BOOM SWIVELED IN SAID BEARING MEANS FOR ROTATION ON THE GENERALLY VERTICAL AXIS OF SAID MAST, SAID BOOM EXTENDING UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY OF SAID MAST AND SUPPORTED SOLELY ON THE MAST, (C) SAID MAST HAVING A TUBULAR PORTION IN ITS UPPER END, AND (D) SAID BOOM HAVING A STRAIGHT PORTION ROTATABLY SEATED IN SAID TUBULAR PORTION. 